As he sat in his tiny home, a brazier of incense burning at his left and a half-empty bottle of wine to his right, Andre realized that the recent wedding had reawakened desires that he’d thought long dead. It had been decades since he’d been with a woman and he’d considered that part of his life to be over. After all, his animated dead state left him where he could fulfill numerous physical desires but they were no longer necessary or even ones that pleased him any longer. The wine was flavorful and pleasant but it could not take him to a drunken state, for instance.
Now he wondered if a woman would find his slightly cool-to-the-touch body pleasing in the way that it once would have been.
The ringing of his phone snapped him out of his reverie. He’d just been fondly recalling a caramel-colored beauty that had taught him quite a bit in his younger days. Sighing, he rose from his chair and approached the noisy device. It was one of the so-called modern conveniences that he had not learned to truly appreciate.
“Oui?” he asked, unable to keep the annoyance from seeping into his voice. When he heard the soft voice that came in reply, however, all of that was forgotten. He was genuinely pleased to hear from one of his new friends.
Their conversation was short and to the point. By the time he’d hung up the phone, Andre’s mood was both alert and somber. Samantha’s words had sent a trickle of fear down his spine, for they did not bode well.
He had felt tremors in the ether for days but hadn’t been able to pinpoint their meaning or cause. Apparently, other sensitives had detected it as well, but whereas he’d only gotten vague impressions of unease, they had seen something more substantial… and awful.
He would do some research and contact a few associates before returning to Sovereign. Something dark and awful was lurking at the edge of his consciousness and he realized that what he’d been enjoying was just the calm before a terrible storm.
Lazarus Gray and his bride descended the stairs and stepped onto the rain-slicked tarmac of Sovereign City Airport. Kelly was clutching a large umbrella but Lazarus was just outside of its protective cover. It was only drizzling at the moment but with the Sovereign weather, you never knew when it might turn ugly.
In that way, the weather was a lot like the rest of the town.
The newlyweds made an impressive couple. Lazarus was tall and broad-shouldered, with hair that was more grayish-silver than brown. As such, he looked older than he actually was. His eyes were mismatched: one was a glittering emerald, the other a dull brown. His face was handsome and well-formed but there was an odd stiffness to it, as if his expression rarely veered away from the serious cast it currently possessed. His eyes were continuously moving but not with any sign of nervousness. His gaze was like that of a predator constantly on the lookout for new prey.
Kelly Emerson Gray was nearly his equal in height even without heels. Amazonian in stature and beauty, her red curly hair hung loosely about her shoulders. She wore jodhpurs and a man’s button-down shirt. Her calf-high leather boots were scuffed and showed signs of heavy use.
They had arrived without fanfare, having only called ahead to Eun Jiwon so that he could meet them with a car. They found the young Korean-American standing beside the black roadster. He was leaning against the hood, arms folded over his chest. He smiled and stood up straight as they approached and he seemed oblivious to the sprinkling rain.
“Lazarus!” he bellowed. He moved forward and embraced his employer, who responded a bit stiffly. To Kelly, he flashed a broad grin and tipped his cap.
“Have we missed anything of note?” Lazarus asked, putting away their bags and then sliding into the backseat next to his bride.
Kelly remained silent, aside from a brief hello to Eun. Lazarus had been very good on their honeymoon, seemingly focusing only on her though she’d caught his eyes roaming hungrily over newspaper headlines a time or two. She’d never known him to go so long without adventure, though she liked to think that she’d slaked that particular thirst with physical pleasures during the trip.
The good lord knew she was exhausted from her efforts in that regard…
Eun drove them away from the airport and said, “Rash of suicides and Morgan learned that the people killing themselves are having visions of some horrible future.”
“So we only missed the usual sorts of things,” Kelly murmured under her breath. She knew that Lazarus heard her but he directed his response to Eun.
“We’ll need to call in someone for consultation, I would think.”
“Samantha’s already on it. She called Catalyst. He’s supposed to be on his way.”
“Good.” Lazarus looked out the window, watching as the citizenry scurried about on the slick streets. They looked even more forlorn than usual and that was saying something. There was an ambiance to Sovereign City that spoke of lost idealism and tarnished dreams. It seeped into the bones and souls of the people who called the city home, leading many into lives of degradation and crime.
Even Lazarus and his friends had felt the pull of despair from time to time. That they had been able to rise above it was a sign of their inner strength. In this, they were not completely unique. Kelly, Inspector Cord, and others had done the same but they were definitely in the minority.
Eun pulled the car into the garage at 6196 Robeson Avenue and turned off the engine. “Should I try to contact the other special agents in the city?”
The term “special agents” was slang that Assistance Unlimited used to describe men and women who, like themselves, put their lives on the line in the war against evil. Sovereign was home to several of these: Doc Daye, Fortune McCall, The Dark Gentleman and Gravedigger, to name just a few.
“I’ll contact Daye and McCall and let them know what we’ve found out. Perhaps they have something to add.”
Eun nodded, not surprised by the response. There were definite levels to the special agents in the city, both in terms of scope of power and level of trustworthiness.
Kelly slid out of the car as her husband held the door for her. “Can’t believe I’m about to call this place home. Did you know that when I was a little girl, we stayed in this hotel for a few days when our house flooded? Seemed so opulent back then.”
“I like to think we’ve restored it well,” Lazarus said.
“Oh, you have! It’s beautiful. I just never imagined that I’d be living in it someday.”
Lazarus Gray had purchased all three of the buildings that lay on this city block, transforming what had once been an unassuming neighborhood into the beating heart of his crime busting enterprise. The centerpiece of his holdings was a three-story structure that had once been a hotel. Gray’s associates used the first floor, while the second had been gutted and converted into one large room that was used for meetings, briefings, and research. The third floor was off-limits to everyone but Gray himself and was his private domicile. It was there that Kelly would now be moving all of her things.
Across the street were several storefronts owned by Lazarus, all of which had closed down at the dawn of the Great Depression.
“I suppose this place is so big that if we have a spat, we could go days without having to see one another,” Kelly deadpanned.
“I don’t plan to fight with you.” Lazarus took his wife’s hand in his own. “I’m smart enough to let you have your way.”
“Oh, I think this marriage is off to a fine start!” Kelly pulled away and said, “Now I’m going to take my bags inside and start unpacking. After that, I’ll call daddy and let him know we’re back.” She tapped Lazarus on the chest. “You go save the city or the world or whatever needs saving. I’ll see you when you’re done.”